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Showbiz Tonight
Christie Brinkley`s Fourth Divorce; Anorexia Rampant in Hollywood?; Joey Buttafuoco Going to Jail? Should Children See Stars Smoke? Flab on Hollywood Men
Aired July 12, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT HOST: Another marriage, another split for Christie Brinkley, and the Oliver Stone 9/11 movie, "World Trade Center:" SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just seen it. We`ve got your very first review. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(Voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, scary skinny: tonight, celebrities who look shockingly anorexic but they insist nothing is wrong. Is the media just being mean to these lean ladies or are these bony beauties sending a bad message? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals whether these stars really are bad to the bone.
Also, smoking mad at the movies: the outrage over lighting up on the silver screen. Should kids be stopped from seeing movies that show stars smoking? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the heat Hollywood is feeling over this controversial tobacco tussle.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(On camera): Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City. I`ve got to tell you that, when we saw a picture today of Anna Kournikova, our jaws dropped. That`s because of how much weight she has dropped. It is the newest sport in Hollywood -- speculation on who is too thin, why they are so thin, and wondering if they have an eating disorder or not.
So, here`s what SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to know: Has all this guessing and obsessing gone too far?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(Voice-over): Remember Anna Kournikova, the tennis playing hotty who was as famous for her bod as her backhand? Now people have saying she has gone from curvy to skinny -- too skinny. This is her at a recent tennis event. Her bone-thin frame is a stark contrast to the muscular form she displayed on the tennis courts, and on the red carpet during her tennis- playing heyday. Anna writes in "Elle" magazine, "I`m naturally long, lean and lanky. When I was playing tennis on the professional circuit, my body completely changed. Now almost three years have passed since I was on the court full time, and my body has changed again."
Kournikova may be naturally skinny, but that didn`t stop the New York Post from posting a headline jokingly calling her Anna-Rexic. In fact, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has noticed that, be it a tennis star like Anna Kournikova, or a film star, like Keira Knightley, almost every thin star in Hollywood eventually has to swat down talk of an eating disorder. CosmoGirl! editor- in-chief Susan Schultz says that`s just not fair.
SUSAN SCHULTZ, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, COSMOGIRL!: If they look a little fat in a picture, everybody goes crazy. And if they look skinny in a picture, everybody says they are anorexic. If every top actress in Hollywood has an eating disorder -- that`s just ridiculous.
HAMMER: Despite a record breaking opening for her movie, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man`s Chest," Keira Knightley still has to respond to inquiries that she has anorexia.
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, ACTRESS: They went, How does it feel to be always called anorexic? I had no idea that I was. I don`t have it. I`m very sure I don`t have it.
SCHULTZ: Whether it is Keira or the other ones that are accused of having an eating disorder, it really diverts attention from this woman`s accomplishments and it is completely wrong and unfair.
HAMMER: Scarlet Johansson agrees. She bristled when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked her about Keira Knightley`s situation.
JENNY D`ATTOMA, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT PRODUCER: She had to come on the defense saying, No, I`m not too thin, no, you know, No, I don`t have an eating disorder.
SCARLETT JOHANSSON, ACTRESS: Whatever. It`s like, what can you do? I mean, it`s difficult to say because on one hand you have somebody, you know, like yourself, and, you know, from the media saying, what do you think of this -- at the same time you feed into it because it`s what the media reports. I`m sure on the same show that the person is asking me, How do you deal with it, they are also reporting on Keira Knightley`s supposed eating disorder or whatever. And, you know, you can`t play both sides of the game. It doesn`t work like that.
HAMMER: Yes, it is true, Hollywood is full of super-thin stars, some of whom, like Mary-Kate Olsen, really have dealt with an eating disorder. But what about those who really may be naturally thin?
TERI HATCHER, ACTRESS: This is insane.
HAMMER: Even "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher, who is thin but not exactly waifish, has had to knock down anorexia rumors, circulated by the tabloids.
Keira Knightley says she sees why people are so quick to associate eating disorders with Hollywood.
KNIGHTLEY: It is normally high-achieving young women that suffer from it, so, I guess, control freaks. It is understandable why you would associate that with sort of high-achieving people in the film industry as well. I`m not saying there aren`t people that suffer from it, because I`m sure that there are. I`m not one of them.
HAMMER: Still, the anorexic or not speculation continues. And stars like Anna Kournikova and Keira Knightley are learning that you can be thin but you do so at the risk of your reputation.
(On camera): Joining me here to talk more about this issue in New York, Susan Schultz, the editor-in-chief "CosmoGirl!" magazine. It`s nice to see you, Susan.
SCHULTZ: It`s nice to see you, too.
HAMMER: I have to tell you, I agree with you. It is completely ridiculous. Keira Knightley, who is on the cover of your magazine right now, has to defend herself against these charges that she has an eating disorder. Has it really come to that, that if you`re thin in Hollywood, you`re automatically labeled as anorexic?
SCHULTZ: Everybody -- it seems like they will just jump on you. I think it is more about, what`s the story today? What`s juicy to say? Keira shows up at the premiere, she looks a little thin, could she have an eating disorder? Everybody starts to say, oh, could she? And people start to talk. It`s juicy gossip, and gossip is something that people, of course, have a real appetite for.
So it`s really more about that than it really is about these poor actresses that are constantly accused of -- whether they are too fat, too thin. They can`t get a break.
HAMMER: It is possible for people to be naturally thin.
SCHULTZ: Absolutely.
HAMMER: You look at what we saw with Anna Kournikova in this photo today.
In fact, Charles, can you throw that photo?
We have a before and after photo. There is her when she was in her heyday on the tennis court. She is very different than she looks now.
SCHULTZ: Right. Well, the thing is, when you`re an athlete, you`re muscular, because you`re eating more, because you need the carbs, you need the energy, you`re working out all the time, you have bigger muscles. And she has just slimmed down, and as she was saying, your body does change.
HAMMER: But in her case, you have to admit, it was pretty dramatic. You can understand. You look at that photo -- let`s put that up one more time -- because it is such a change, you can understand --
SCHULTZ: What year was the other one, though? Was she a teenager then? Because you do lose a lot of your baby fat in those five years. It happens. It happened to me.
HAMMER: Okay. Well, the before picture is the one on the left side of the screen. And the one where she is actually playing tennis is the after shot.
SCHULTZ: Okay.
HAMMER: But it is dramatic enough that it can certainly raise some eyebrows.
SCHULTZ: Definitely. Everybody is always going to question, okay, what is going on? But I think with Anna and with Keira, these are really confident girls. They have always been completely out in the media. They have never been the type to hide behind anything. They show their bodies off.
A lot of times when you are anorexic, you do layer on the clothing to hide it. They have never been like that. Why would they suddenly be accused of being anorexic? They have got nothing to hide; they`re perfectly confident. So it is really unfair that all their other accomplishments are being overshadowed by this silly conversation that everybody seems to be having over what they are eating, and are they losing too much weight.
HAMMER: I couldn`t agree with you more. And now Keira Knightley has unwittingly become the poster child for this debate.
SCHULTZ: Right.
HAMMER: You`ve been hearing from your readers about this very subject. What have they been telling you?
SCHULTZ: Yes. Well, because with all of the debate over eating disorders in Hollywood and everything, it`s all about, are you too thin? And there are thin girls that right in and they say, I`m naturally thin. How can I gain weight? People are accusing me of being anorexic and it is really hurtful. It`s really sad, because girls at that age, no matter what size they are, they feel insecure. It is just something you kind of go through at that age. And for them, now, they love Keira. They really look up to her, they feel that she is somebody they can relate to.
Now to kind of have her, you know, her ability to be a role model to be compromised, when she has done nothing really to ask for that, it`s tricky. It`s very confusing to the girls.
HAMMER: And when a star does come out and say they do have an eating disorder, I also see that as possibly being very confusing. On the one hand it sheds light on an issue, someone might recognize in themselves. On the other hand, you may have somebody saying, you know what, she looks pretty good, and that`s how she got that way?
SCHULTZ: That`s a problem, too. Everybody says, the camera adds 10 pounds. And these women are photographed constantly. And so they tend to slim down a little bit to look better in photographs. And it doesn`t mean they have an eating disorder. And yet, that does send an odd message to girls about, how do you look your best? Everybody gives so much attention to women when they lose weight, it sends a message of, do something like this, you`ll get attention, whether it`s a good or bad thing you`re doing.
HAMMER: It`s good to have the dialogue. It can backfire.
Susan Schultz, thanks for joining us. I really appreciate it.
SCHULTZ: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Well, last night we asked you to vote on this very subject on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We were asking, "Thin stars: do they make you feel fat?" Kind of split down the middle here, with 55 percent of you saying, yes, they do, 45 percent saying no, they don`t make you feel fat.
Here are some of the e-mails we received. We heard from Diana in Michigan. She says, "I`m being treated for an eating disorder, but looking at everyone in Hollywood, how can I not feel bad about myself?"
rMD+BO_rMD-BO_But Meghan from Indiana says, "Stars don`t make her feel fat. What they do make me feel is very smart for not being a bone head and becoming stick thin.
Feel really good by watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, seven nights a week. That`s right, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show now available on your weekends. Be sure to tune in and join us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern -- that is 8:00 Pacific.
Coming up, should kids be stopped from seeing movies that shows stars smoking? The controversial tobacco tussle, coming up.
Plus, no connect 4 for Christie Brinkley. Tonight, the third marriage wasn`t the charm for her, and neither was the fourth. Why this supermodel is splitting up again.
Plus we`ve got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We actually prefer average-looking people. We actually do, because there is a certain comfort and trust we have in them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the very first to tell you that "flab is fab." So hold on to your love handles, because tonight we are taking a wider look as to why flabby men are fashionable in Hollywood. That`s coming up in a bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Time now for a little story that made us say, That`s ridiculous!. Jackie Chan stars in those Rush Hour movies that you`ve probably seen, but he seems to have mistaken Rush Hour four lush hour. The Ming Tao (ph) daily news says that the actor actually jumped on to the stage at a Hong Kong concert. Now, Jackie says he was drunk at the time. He demanded a duet with the singer and then he tried to conduct the band, which didn`t work out too well.
So the audience started booing at him. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to Jackie`s people, we didn`t hear back by show time. So, Hong Kong fooey to this Jackie joke. That`s ridiculous!
Now we move on to the story of a star split that has everybody buzzing tonight. Supermodel Christie Brinkley and her fourth husband, Peter Cook, have separated. The fourth time was not the charm for her. Let`s get the latest from Harvey Levin, the managing editor of the entertainment news Website, TMZ.com, joining us from Glendale, California.
All right, Harvey, let`s get into this, here. Cook and Brinkley got married back in 1996 and they have a daughter. Of course, we all know that Christie Brinkley was married to Billy Joel originally. What went wrong this time around?
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: They are not saying -- their publicist, who, by the way -- I don`t know why I`m even saying this -- is Paris Hilton`s publicist as well, Elliot Mintz. He just said, look, it`s true, they have separated, it didn`t work out. They are going to go their separate ways.
And it`s interesting because you always remember her with Billy Joel, who was actually husband number 2. So she has been, I guess, over all unlucky in love.
HAMMER: She has. This is her fourth marriage, as we have said. She really is America`s supermodel. She was married to this guy, Peter Cook, for close to ten years, but she was married to Billy Joel, husband number 2 as you mentioned, for about the same amount of time. Now, people would kill to wake up in the morning and be married to her. That may be a strong word. But what do you think is up with Christie Brinkley, Harvey? Is it her? Is it the situation?
LEVIN: I think you`re going to have to call Dr. Phil on that one. I`m merely a lawyer and a managing editor here. But she was married once before, actually for less than a year. When you kind of look at the pattern here, she just doesn`t seem to be able to handle these long-term relationships very well or, for that matter, at least in the third case, even a short-term relationship.
HAMMER: We call on you, Harvey, because you know people, and you know Joey Buttafuoco, so let`s move on to him right now. This guy, with a sordid past, sentenced to a year in jail because he had probation officers who found ammunition during a search of his home. He happens to live in the porn capital of the world, Chatsworth, California. I understand he pled no contest in this situation. But you got to think, that a guy like him, with a past like him, would be trying to keep his nose clean.
LEVIN: Well, I guess you do. But when you look at him, it`s kind of like, you know, tarantulas can`t help themselves and neither can Joey Buttfuoco. He gets into trouble. The reason he`s in trouble this time is because he was convicted of felony insurance fraud when he had an auto repair shop in the San Fernando Valley, and for that he got probation. Well, he violated that probation with this count of possessing illegal ammunition. So he could actually, A.J., end up in the slammer theoretically for five years as a result of what happened.
HAMMER: Right. And the judge told him that, basically, this was his last chance and he would be doing hard time if he messed up again, right?
LEVIN: Yes. It`s funny, because it is kind of like the Sharon Stone -- it`s kind of like "Basic Instinct," What are you going to do, arrest me for smoking when I`ve already killed somebody? He was involved -- he didn`t kill somebody, but he was involved in a shooting. And these things kind of pale by comparison.
Nonetheless, they are all crimes, and he has a record. He`s unlucky in life like Christie Brinkley is unlucky in love.
HAMMER: I wanted to ask you, Harvey -- I know you don`t have a crystal ball there in front of you, but can you at least possibly predict that it`s not the last we`re seeing of Joey Buttafuoco in trouble?
LEVIN: Let me think about that -- yes.
HAMMER: Appreciate your candor, Harvey. Harvey Levin, managing editor for TMZ.com, thank you, as always.
LEVIN: See you, A.J.
HAMMER: We move now from a star split to a get together. Amber Frey ties the knot and we`ve got your very first look. She, of course, was the infamous "other woman" in the Scott Peterson murder trial. Peterson had an affair with her, then he was convicted of killing his wife. Lacy, back in 2004. "People" magazine says Amber and her new husband, Bobby Hernandez, a divorced corrections officer, are very happy. They met last October, and the couple got married on July 5th, just outside of Lake Tahoe, California.
If you would like to read more about Amber Fry`s wedding, grab your copy of "People" magazine. You will finds it on newsstands Friday.
Oliver Stone`s long-awaited film, "World Trade Center," is coming to theaters in less than two weeks. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got a first look today at the movie, all about two Port Authority policemen who rushed into the burning buildings on September 11, and the race against time to save them.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`Attoma, who covered the 9/11 attacks herself, went to see the film. Jenny joins me tonight.
Always a pleasure to have you on the couch, here, Jenny.
D`ATTOMA: Thank you.
HAMMER: As I mentioned, you were down there on September 11, covering the disaster that day. Seeing this recreation on the big screen, something that we haven`t seen in that scope before, it has to have been just gut wrenching.
D`ATTOMA: Yes. It brings you back to the day of 9/11 and all the horror surrounding you, and in my case, I was down there. So all those images -- on the money.
HAMMER: Really. He hit it on the head -- because we`ve seen the images, certainly, play over and over on television, they`re seared into our memories. You would think a pretty tough recreation for the film.
D`ATTOMA: And he nailed every single thing, from the -- I hate to say it, but the bodies slamming onto the deck of the World Trade Center to the papers flying in the air, to the inches and inches of dirt and debris on the floor. It`s unbelievable.
HAMMER: This is the second major Hollywood release to cover the story, or one of the stories of September 11 -- "United 93," of course, was the last one. When the filmmakers made that particular movie, they were very conscious about not using well-known, recognizable actors so as not to distract the audience from the story. In this case, you`re looking at, among others, Nicholas Cage and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Were you able to get past the fact that you know them as big Hollywood stars?
D`ATTOMA: I`ll tell you, the first half hour of the movie, I really couldn`t get past it. I kept thinking to myself, was this the right decision? But, having thought about it now, they did a fantastic job portraying real people in the situation. I think it was the right call. I think they did a good job.
HAMMER: It could not have been easy to take on those roles.
D`ATTOMA: No.
HAMMER: But you have Oliver Stone making the film. One of the criticisms that Oliver and the film in general has faced, since we first started hearing about it, was that it exploits one of the most horrific incidences ever to take place in history. Did it feel exploitative to you?
D`ATTOMA: It didn`t feel exploitive to me because it`s a real story. These two Port Authority police officers -- this is the story of the two Port Authority police officers who were taken out of the rubble, you know - - few people who survived the World Trade Center. And I don`t think they exploited any fact of it, any of the story. They went to the family members to talk to them about their stories. So I don`t think so.
HAMMER: Jenny, thanks for telling us all about it. I appreciate it. The film is going to be coming out soon, and we`ll hear lots more on the way. Jenny D`Attoma, one of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT fearless producers. "World Trade Center" will be out July 28th.
Remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now be seen seven nights a week. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show has arrived on your weekend. Make sure you tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, in addition to Monday through Friday - - Saturday and Sunday day nights you`ll find us at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
So, will Michelle Pfeiffer be getting surgery? She tells all in a revealing interview. That`s next.
Also, Yo, Adrian. The Italian Stallion back -- Sylvester Stallone is Rocky once again, and in the ring. Will he punch those slabs of meat, will he run up those stairs? We`re going to give you your first look at "Rocky Balboa" in tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to have a little extra meat. You got to have something to hold onto. You know what I mean? You can`t be all skin and bones. That six-pack stuff, that`s old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the very first to tell you that flab is fab. So, hang on to those love handles, because tonight we are taking a wider look as to why flabby men are fashionable in Hollywood. That`s coming up in a bit.
So what do you think? For our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the day," tonight, we are asking, Flabby but fabulous: Do you prefer your stars with a few extra pounds? Go online to vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Got more to say? The e-mail address: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT@CNN.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tomorrow, get ready to laugh. Actor Owen Wilson`s going to be right here in our studio. He`ll be telling us all there is to know about his upcoming comedy, "You, Me and Dupree," which also stars Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And if you have been wondering where in the world Michelle Pfeiffer has been, we have found her. She hasn`t done a movie in four years, but she is enjoying her longtime marriage to television producer David E. Kelley. He`s the guy behind hits like "Boston Legal" and "Ally McBeal." Well, Michelle looks great, but the 48-year-old Pfeiffer says she may go in for a little nip here and a little tuck there. She tells "InStyle" magazine, quote, "Just like all women, I toy with it. When I`m rested, I think I look pretty darn okay. When I`m feeling weary, then I think maybe I better make that appointment. I`ve seen some amazing-looking plastic surgery, but who knows if that`s what you`ll get?"
And you can read more about Michelle Pfeiffer in her revealing interview in the August issue of "InStyle" magazine.
Coming up, should kids be stopped from seeing movies that show stars smoking? The controversial tobacco tussle on the way.
Also tonight, a closetful of surprises for Tom Cruise: Why he`s probably not going to be too happy with an up-coming "South Park" episode - - again.
We have also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We actually prefer average-looking people. We actually do, because there is a certain comfort and trust we have in them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the very first to tell you that flab is fab. We want you to held on to those love handles, if you got them, because tonight we`re taking a wider look as to why flabby men are fashionable in Hollywood, in a bit. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT comes right back.
(NEWSBREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I am A.J. Hammer in New York. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Well, there are some people out there who would suggest that if your kids are under 17, they go to the movies, they see their favorite character smoking cigarettes, and they`re going to run out and take on the habit. A lot of people say that`s nuts. We`re going to get into that debate coming up in just a few moments.
Also, Rocky Balboa is back for the 75th installment - actually it`s the sixth, but it feels kind of like the 75th. It`s been around for a long time.
Now the film, which will feature Sylvester Stallone, not out until Christmas. But we have your very first look tonight here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now last night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT we declared flabby is fabulous. We just couldn`t help ourselves after seeing so many movies this summer with flabby men as the leads. In fact, we got such a big response, we decided to dig around for some more stars who are flabulous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the first to tell you that flab is, well, fab.
Flabby is fabulous. That`s right: we said it. From Main Street to the big screen, love handles are making a comeback. And that`s got a lot of people talking, including our friends, Robin Meade and Glen Beck from Headline News.
ROBIN MEADE, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Yes, are you saying you`ve arrived?
GLEN BECK, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: This is proof that God is a man.
HAMMER: From real life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh that six-pack stuff? Yes, that`s old.
HAMMER: .to show business.
JACK BLACK, ACTOR: Big dudes.
HAMMER: .there`s no butts about it. Men with more in the middle are making headway.
KEVIN O`KEEFE, AUTHOR, "THE AVERAGE AMERICAN": But we actually prefer average-looking people. We actually do, because there`s a certain comfort and trust we have in them. Yes, we`d love to be with a hot model in the short term. But over the long term, there`s more comfort and more security with a common-looking person.
HAMMER: Man flab must be making a comeback. Otherwise we wouldn`t be seeing it on the stars. Just like at "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks, named America`s sexiest bachelor. Or leading man John Travolta. Heck, even Carrie`s boyfriend, Aiden, on "Sex and the City."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yeah right.
HAMMER: All brawny, but not buff. Guys who we call "flabulous."
O`KEEFE: The average American wants to see an average-bodied person on the big screen, without a doubt. Women don`t want guys that are weighing less than they are. So there`s a certain femininity equality with men who are trim and have the six pack.
HAMMER: Even this summer`s hot blockbusters are full of beefy guys. There`s Jack Black from "Nacho Libre"; Vince Vaughn in "The Break-Up"; and Will Ferrell in "Talladega Nights."
WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: (INAUDIBLE) Help me Tom Cruise!
HAMMER: Three average-looking guys with above-average appeal - guys that most gals feel they can relate to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s always to see somebody and say, Hey, you know what? I could - I could get that, you know? That`s somebody I could be with in real life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Joining me here in New York, Kevin O`Keefe, the author of "The Average American."
Kevin, it`s a pleasure to welcome you here.
It`s unbelievable the response that we have gotten to this particular story. Let`s talk about a guy like Vince Vaughn. He`s 36 years old, which apparently is the average age of American men.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: I wasn`t aware of that.
O`KEEFE: .all Americans.
HAMMER: Of all Americans. OK. He`s from the Midwest. He`s got, shall we say, a little extra meat on the bones.
Is the fact that he is kind of obtainable at least in appearance, is that - is that what the appeal is here?
O`KEEFE: That`s a great word, obtainable. But it`s also the balance that he has in his life.
There`s this projection among people that are a few extra pounds right here that there`s a balance in their life, that they`re not spending half the day in the gym. Women are attracted to guys who have balance. That means they have time for family and friends and community. That`s attractive.
And also, America is ready for realness. You know, we`ve grown from a sitcomland where friends - the "Friends" episodes, where these apartments where these young professionals - they certainly can`t afford these apartments. But yet, we go to "Everybody Loves Raymond" - OK, a sports writer can afford that type of a house, and he probably has that type of a wife and kids.
But now we want more realness. And to have realness, you need to look like an average American. You need to have a few extra pounds.
HAMMER: And is that basically the deal? Because, you know, you look around America, America by and large, as we`re seeing, is flabulous. You know, Main Street America, they`re more flabulous than not.
Why has it taken Hollywood so long to catch on?
O`KEEFEE: Hollywood is always - you know, a bit back there in catching up. It`s because they`re - the decisionmakers are in the cities.
Now right now, we just passed a major milestone: most Americans now not only live in the suburbs, but work in the suburbs. But the decisonmakers are in places like Beverly Hills and New York City. They - it takes awhile for them to realize what`s going on in the country. And they need to get more of a suburbia mindset on how they make their decisions.
HAMMER: But obviously - and one of the things that kind of kills me about this whole thing is the double standard that just jumps right out.
You know, for women, not so accepted. You know, we see the flabulous men. But the question is, will we ever get to that point where it will be acceptable for women in Hollywood to be more flabulous than not? I can`t believe I`m using this word over and over, but it - it works.
O`KEEFE: Right. And when you say flab, we`re not talking too much.
HAMMER: No. No. And - and to be clear on that, we`re talking about an unhealthy lifestyle.
O`KEEFE: Not at all.
HAMMER: We`re just - we`re just - we`re talking about people who necessarily, you know, are not eating salads all day and working out at the gym for two hours a day.
O`KEEFE: Right. The average American is actually of - of healthy weight. Has some body fat there, but is actually still in the healthy zone. The average male is 5`9 and a half, 190. So I - yes, I don`t want to give the impression that we`re talking enormous fat here.
But the reason that Americans are so attracted to somebody that has a little bit of the fat - again, it just keeps going back to realness. It`s that simple.
HAMMER: When do you think that we`re going to see it more coming from the women..
O`KEEFE: The women - it`s just, again - it`s there already. Middle America understands what they`re attracted to. But Hollywood`s not giving it to them.
Unfortunately, A.J., I think it`s going to probably take something extreme, like a death. It`s going to take a Karen Carpenter situation, which happened back in 1983. Some young actress is going to have to die of anorexia. And when that happens, we`ll see a change in Hollywood decision- making.
HAMMER: Because it would seem to me, and - and I honestly can`t recall a time when somebody has put this out there. But if some studio or some filmmaker would go out on a limb and cast the more flabulous women in a big feature role, then people would identify with that, and then it would sort of lead the way.
O`KEEFE: Absolutely. They need to get their heads out of the sand, because if you look at every poll - and your poll will definitely show tomorrow that most Americans want a leading actress with a few more pounds. Absolutely.
But the polls are all showing the same thing: we want average people, not only in movies and television, but in advertising. Leo Burnett (ph) Advertising did an - a great poll last year. And most men - over 70 percent - said there needs to be more average-looking guy in ads. I think ads don`t relate to the average American.
Hollywood needs to wake the hell up.
HAMMER: Yes, because they do eventually - you know, if they can get on board with it, realize, Hey, that`s actually what people do want to see.
So -- so my question Kevin now is, can we officially declare a menaissance here? Is metrosexual - metrosexuality out the door, and flabulosity officially in?
O`KEEFE: Yes, we`re now into a retrosexual land, back before there was metrosexuals.
And again, because metro means city, and most Americans are now in the suburbs and working in the suburbs as well. So let`s star having a suburbia mindset in Hollywood, and then things will change. And let`s do that before there`s a death in Hollywood.
HAMMER: That would be very nice to be able to make it all happen before it comes to that.
Kevin O`Keefe, thank you very much. I appreciate you being with us.
O`KEEFE: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: It`s all very fascinating. And we`ve been asking you to vote on this very subject for tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking, "Flabby But Fabulous: Do you prefer your stars with a few extra pounds?" Go online to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? Our e-mail address is showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll get into those e- mails, which will be fascinating I`m sure, tomorrow.
Well, in tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," Rocky Balboa coming out of retirement for the sixth and apparently final film on this classic series. Sylvester Stallone revives his legendary character to try and prove that he actually still has what it takes to go against the young champion. But does he?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your very first look at the trailer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who was the greatest? Who was the best of all time? If two athletes could actually compete against one another, who would come out on top?
In one corner, the reigning champion, Mason Malign Dixon (ph). He`ll be pitted against the former two-time heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa.
The computer says Rocky Balboa would be triumphant.
SYLVESTER STALLONE, ACTOR: I think there was still some stuff in the basement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What basement?
STALLONE: In here.
I think I want to, like, fight. You know, nothing big. Just small things like local.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you haven`t peaked yet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, we have the promotional contract with Mason Dixon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you heard George (ph) has been fighting again. He (INAUDIBLE).
STALLONE: But I ain`t interested in getting, like, mangled and embarrassed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know what? Face it. That computer fight got a lot of people curious.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it doesn`t matter how this looks to other people. (INAUDIBLE) does fight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To beat this guy, you need speed. You don`t have it. And you`ve got calcium deposits on most of your joints. (INAUDIBLE) spine is out.
STALLONE: I had that problem.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what we`ll be counting on is blunt-force trauma.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s start building some hurtin` palms.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The greatest underdog story of our time is back for one final round.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Rocky Balboa."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s over.
STALLONE: (INAUDIBLE) til it`s over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where is that from? The 80s?
STALLONE: It`s probably in the 70s.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Still ticking. "Rocky Balboa" comes to theaters this Christmas.
We want to remind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. That`s right, we are bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends as well. We`re here Monday through Friday, and we`re here Saturday and Sunday at 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
Well, Paris Hilton is ready to make a splash with a second music video. I can hardly wait. You know with Paris, there`s always a twist. Coming up, you`ll find out why the rest of this story made us say "That`s Ridiculous!"
Also, should kids be stopped from seeing movies that show stars smoking? The controversial tussle is still ahead.
Plus, Tom Cruise: trapped in the closet? We`re going to tell you when you can check out the controversial "South Park" that caught hear for poking fun at scientology`s biggest celebrity.
It`s time now for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Birthday Shoutout." This is where we give the fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a happy birthday. Tonight, we`re zipping one out to Bill Cosby. He`s celebrating birthday 69 today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, I`m Krissy (ph). I`m from Connecticut. I just want to say happy birthday Bill Cosby! I love you. I watch "The Cosby Show" every night, Nick at Nite. My favorite show. I love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time for another story that ran across our desks and today and just made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
As it if wasn`t enough that Paris Hilton released one music video for her very first single "Stars Are Blind." Well, since the album`s not coming out for yet another month - can`t wait - Warner Bros. has decided to get a new video out there. And just to sweeten the story - listen to this - they`ve brought in the director of Hilton`s infamous Carl`s Jr. ads. Now you remember those particular ads, where she`s seductively eating a hamburger. Who doesn`t eat a hamburger seductively? She`s doing that while eating - wearing a bathing suit. And I`m thinking maybe this is going to give us an idea of exactly what to expect from this new video.
Either way, we`re not going to have to wait too long because the new video is making its debut tomorrow on MTV`s "TRL."
And of course, all of this, I have to say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
So imagine this: twins like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen elected president of the United States. Stop laughing; it actually happened in Poland. Again, stop laughing. I`m not kidding here.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you think all politicians are alike, well here are two who are really alike.
(on camera): How do you say twins in Polish?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
MOOS (voice-over): Twins of the world rejoice: Poland`s president has appointed his twin as prime minister.
Now this may seem shocking to outsiders, but the Poles are used to these two. The twins were child movie stars back in 1962, in a film called "The Two Who Stole the Moon."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
MOOS: Their hair has gone from blond to silver. They founded their own political party. Lech Kaczynski was elected president last year, and now he`s appointed his brother Jaroslaw prime minister.
JAROSLAW KACZYNSKI, POLISH PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE (through translator): We have decided to take this risk -- and it is risk -- when the prime minister and the president are brothers.
MOOS: It will be a risk telling them apart. The president, screen right, has two moles on his face. He also wears a wedding ring.
The prime minister is single and lives with his mother and cat. Sort of reminds us of the movie "Dave," where Kevin Kline is an average guy who looks like the president and ends up substituting for him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re a very handsome man.
KEVIN KLINE, ACTOR: Thank you, Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just get rid of the grin. You look like a schmuck.
MOOS: Just think, when President Bush met with Poland`s president five months ago..
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. President, welcome to the Oval Office.
MOOS: W. could have been unwittingly welcoming his double.
Twins like Lisa and Debbie Ganz, authors of a book on twins, sometimes switch identities.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. We`ve switched everything. We`ve switched classes; we`ve switched on boyfriends.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have one membership to the gym.
MOOS: The president and the prime minister have reportedly admitting taking exams for each other in their youth. But these two Geminis tend not to joke about their twin status.
(on camera): They don`t like to do interviews together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do interviews together because we know it`s annoying.
MOOS (voice-over): In a poll, 67 percent of Poles said the Kaczynski twins should not hold both offices.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our twin motto always -- which he could steal from us -- is you can only make a first impression once. We make it twice.
MOOS: Sometimes once is enough, though the new prime minister sure kissed enough for two.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I think it would come in quite handy. If there was a meeting you just didn`t want to take, you`d send the other guy.
The brothers, by the way, are the world`s only twins to hold the two highest posts in any country. But Mary-Kate and Ashley, there`s still time for you as a result of that.
Well, you can once again see that controversial, Emmy-nominated "South Park" episode that caught a lot of heat for making fun of Tom Cruise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m a failure in the eyes of the prophet! Ahh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey. Dude, I`m sorry. I didn`t mean it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dud, this is my room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go away I said!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dad, Tom Cruise won`t come out of the closet!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tom Cruise locked himself in my closet and he won`t come out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Perhaps one of the funniest episodes ever of "South Park."
Now that episode originally aired last year. The network pulled it, however, from reruns despite objections from the show`s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone were told the episode was yanked because Cruise was unhappy with it. That very episode received an Emmy nomination. And now - yep, it`s back in the lineup. You can catch it on Comedy Central on July 19.
Well, what if Tom Cruise were to light up a secret on screen? Would that make kids who saw that want to run out and start off smoking? Well that`s one some anti-smoking groups are saying, and they`re planning a big protest this Thursday. They are going to demand that Hollywood slap an `R` rating on most movies that show people smoking, so kids under 17 can`t get in without an adult. Tell them right from work.
Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now tell me, what`s a beautiful young American pingpong player doing mingling amongst the British upper class?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Well, at the moment, she`s smoking. And whether it`s Scarlett Johansson in "Match Point"; Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in "Fight Club"; Natalie Portman in "Closer"; Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting"; or the young stars of "Reality Bites".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Couple of smokes, a cup of coffee.
ANDERSON: .depictions of Hollywood`s elite puffing away on the big screen are rivaled only by images of them smoking in real life.
But when the smoke clears, many experts are concerned all we`re left with are devastating effects on our nation`s youth.
Dr. Jonathan Fielding is the director of public health for Los Angeles County.
DR. JONATHAN FIELDING, DIR. PUB. HEALTH, LOS ANGELES CNTY: There`s been very good studies, particularly from researchers at Dartmouth. And what that showed was that if your stars are smoking and you watch them in the movie, you`re much more likely to smoke.
ANDERSON: Some in Hollywood think it`s time to take a stand.
Silver screen veteran James Woods tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he won`t take any more roles that involve smoking on screen.
JAMES WOODS, ACTOR: As important as AIDS is, as important as alcoholism, as important as highway accidents are as a consideration, smoking kills more than all those three things combined, including gun fire. Why don`t we think about that?
ANDERSON: Others aren`t so sure.
MATT DILLON, ACTOR: I can`t take a moral stand on something when it comes down to the character. I mean, if the character would, then I would.
RACHEL WEISZ, ACTRESS: I think black-and-white movies have already glamorized smoking, you know, down in history to the point where whatever we try and do now, it`s too late. Smoking is glamorous.
ANDERSON: Action superstar Vin Diesel thinks smoking, here in "Saving Private Ryan," and again in "Mackaround Guy," says it`s complicated.
VIN DIESEL, ACTOR: At what point do you alter a scene that would call for smoking just to make a political statement? That - that`s where the tricky thing comes into play. Because yes I do think that - I think our whole country smokes because of the movies.
SHARON STONE, ACTRESS: What are you going to do? Charge me with smoking?
ANDERSON: So from Sharon Stone to "Basic Instinct," to the black- and-white movies of Hollywood`s past, whether it`s harmful to viewers or not, smoking will always be part of cinema`s history, even though most would agree it`s better left out of our children`s future.
BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR: It`s not that much fun, it`s not that cool, and it`s really hard to quit, and you`ll hate yourself later.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: The anti-smoking groups are demanding that Hollywood put an `R` rating on most movies that show smoking. That`s what the anti-smoking groups will be demanding tomorrow at their big protest.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out and received this statement from the Motion Picture Association of America. They have this to say about the whole idea - quote - "Everyone can agree that smoking is a serious health problem, which is why there are people in all aspects of the movie industry, who are providing educational leadership. The MPAA applauds those and encourages those efforts, while recognizing that preserving freedom of expression, speech and storytelling is paramount. We have always urged parents to get as much information about movie content as they can, so they can make informed decisions about what their children see."
Want to remind you, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. That`s right: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show can now be seen on the weekends in addition to Monday through Friday. So please tune in, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Saturday and Sunday at 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night, coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
JOHNNY CASH, SINGER: (SINGING)
HAMMER: Good old Johnny Cash, the Man in Black, is proving once again that his legendary star won`t fade even after death.
CASH: (SINGING)
HAMMER: "American 5: A Hundred Highways," his first No. 1 album since 1969`s "Johnny Cash at San Quentin."
Here`s a look at the rest of the top five on this week`s Billboard 200 chart. No. 2, Nelly Furtado climbing one spot with "Loose." India.Arie dropping from the top spot to No. 3 this week. Dixie Chicks hanging in tight at No. 4. And Gnarls Barkley, the song (sic) "St. Elsewhere" rounding out the top five.
Well let us now find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT by looking into the future with the "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
Tomorrow, tune in ready to laugh. Actor Owen Wilson`s joining me right here in the studio to tell us all there is to know about his upcoming comedy "You, Me and Dupree," also starring Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon.
Also joining us tomorrow, comedian Jay Maher. He`s going to give us the scoop on his new film "The Groomsmen." These are both interviews that you will see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Stay tuned for the very latest from CNN Headline News.
END
